At a recent mycareerfair by Jobstore.com at KL Convention Centre, ELMU Group’s Chief Strategy Officer, Dalila Paris, took center stage to deliver an inspiring keynote titled, Be the Game Changer: Mastering Integrity and Governance in Today’s Professional Landscape. Speaking to a captivated audience, Dalila stressed the essential qualities shaping tomorrow’s workforce and the growing demand for leaders who go beyond technical know-how to lead with integrity and governance as foundational principles.
The Future of Leadership: Beyond Skills Alone
As industries shift rapidly with technology and globalization, Dalila outlined a future where leadership requires more than technical skills alone. In this evolving professional landscape, ethical leadership has become a core expectation. Employers are increasingly looking for candidates who can handle complex challenges while upholding unwavering ethical standards. To meet these demands, future leaders must demonstrate three essential qualities:
1. The Ability to Navigate Complex Situations
Adaptability and critical thinking are no longer optional. Today’s leaders face fast-paced environments and uncertain circumstances, requiring a steady capacity to navigate ambiguity and make strategic decisions.
2. Commitment to Ethics and Integrity
Trust remains the cornerstone of effective leadership. Decisions rooted in ethics foster a culture of trust that resonates throughout the organization and with clients. When ethics guide actions, leaders create environments where people are inspired to follow.
3. Governance Awareness
A thorough understanding of governance principles is essential to ensuring fairness, transparency, and accountability. Leaders who prioritize governance can guide their teams to make informed, responsible decisions, preserving organizational values while achieving objectives.
Integrity as a Core Competency
Integrity has shifted from being considered a soft skill to a necessary competency for sustainable success. According to a PwC Global CEO Survey, integrity ranks as one of the most sought-after qualities among employers. However, only 30% of recent graduates report feeling prepared to navigate ethical issues in the workplace, a gap highlighting the need for integrity-focused training and mentorship in both educational and professional settings.
Dalila underscored that integrity is more than just avoiding unethical behavior; it’s the commitment to doing the right thing, regardless of external pressure. A 2019 Harvard Business Review study supports this, revealing that companies prioritizing ethical practices outperformed their competitors by up to 20%. This finding reinforces that integrity is not only a moral imperative but also a competitive advantage, enabling companies to thrive in the long term.
A robust governance framework serves as a blueprint for success in today’s transparent and accountability-driven market. As evidenced by Deloitte’s Global Risk Management Survey, over 90% of CEOs now prioritize governance as essential for sustainable growth. Good governance helps businesses operate transparently, ensuring that actions align with broader organizational values and regulatory standards.
Dalila pointed to the stark consequences when governance frameworks are lacking, referencing high-profile corporate scandals like Enron and Volkswagen. Such cases illustrate how governance failures can result in devastating financial and reputational damage. Leaders who understand the importance of governance foster organizations built on trust and resilience, capable of withstanding challenges and adapting to changing market expectations.
Real-World Implications and a Call to Action
In her closing remarks, Dalila issued a resounding call to action for aspiring leaders. She highlighted the undeniable power of principled leadership and the potential for young professionals to drive transformative change across industries. “The future belongs to those who can master the rules, lead with integrity, and commit to governance standards that uplift and sustain,” she stated, urging those entering the workforce to take an active role in shaping a more ethical and accountable professional world.
For today’s emerging talent, Dalila’s words serve as both a challenge and an inspiration. Now is the time to rise as game-changers by embodying ethics, integrity, and governance. In doing so, young leaders can build careers and workplaces that don’t just succeed but thrive on principles that inspire trust, foster resilience, and create lasting impact.
